Introduction
The Venn is one of the latest XDA’s from O2. A Windows Mobile 6.1, dual sliding phone with built in QWERTY keyboard. Could this be a contender in the business class of phones?
The O2 XDA Venn
The Venn has been on sale for a while in the USA as the Pantech Matrix Pro on the AT&T network and is also known as the Pantech Mustang 2. For those of you unfamiliar with the Pantech or the Venn it has a unique trick up its sleeve in that it has a dual slide action with both a numeric keypad and and full QWERTY keypad.
What’s in the box?
- AC travel charger
- Battery
- Headset
- USB cable
- Quick start guide
- CD Full user manual
- Fabric sleeve
Have a look also at Matt’s O2 XDA Venn unboxing video.
O2 XDA Venn Specification:
- Windows Mobile 6.1 Standard
- Qualcomm 528mHz CPU
- 128MB RAM
- 256MB ROM
- 2.4" QVGA (240×320) transflective display
- Quad Band
- GPRS, EDGE, 3G, HSDPA, HSUPA
- Bluetooth 2.0
- MicroSD memory card support
- 2.0 megapixel camera
- GPS(?)
- Weight: Dimensions: 106 x 51 x 21mm (H x W x D)
General
Front: LCD Display, menu buttons, phone speaker
Rear: Battery compartment, camera, loud speaker
Left side: Volume controls, REC button, QWERTY flip
Keyboard/keypad:
Right side: Camera button, charging port
Bottom: Keypad flip, microSD slot
Highlights
- Very good battery life
- Dual sliding
- Looks
- Solid, robust feel
Lowlights
- Bulky
- No WiFi
- microSD card slot difficult to insert card
- No camera flash
- Non standard charger/data connector
Review
When I first saw the Venn, I couldn’t help but think it was a bit on the bulky side but with a nice blue metallic Motorola-esque finish. The keypad sprung up with a nice solid action to reveal the flush fitted keys. The keyboard also opens with the same reassuring robustness. The raised keys are nicely spaced out, slightly larger than my Blackberry Bold, and with some spacing between each key. I tried to insert my microSD card into the covered port at the bottom of the unit, and ended up having to ask my wife to get it to lock as my fingernails were just too short. The charger/data port is not of the mini USB design so you will have to add another cable to your collection.
In its closed form, it is a thick device but it also has a stealthy factor, with its metallic paint and smooth lines, it is quite an attractive phone. The Windows Mobile is an established, reliable platform which is simple to use without too many of the thrills, you wont find anything like Touch Flo here. The camera is average as far as 2MP goes but 2MP really doesn’t cut it these days where 5, 8 and 12MP camera phones are becoming the norm and I don’t think that saying "it’s a business phone" is a resonalbe excuse either. A flash would have been nice too.
My biggest gripe with the phone was the lack of WiFi. I thought that something like that would have been standard, especially as it is trying to sell itself to the business market.
The battery life is really good, stated at 5 hours talk and 250 hours standby, this is a very good selling point as most of the ‘all singing, all dancing’ phones tend to suck the battery dry a lot quicker. I think 250 hours is optimistic for day to day use, but I have not needed to charge it for 3 days and that is very good going.
Matt did mention GPS in his unboxing video and there is mention of GPS in the specification online (depending on which you read) however I can find no evidence of GPS on the Venn that we reviewed here. I can only assume that the Pantech Matrix Pro has GPS and that some of the specs. listed elsewhere online have not been updated to reflect the UK hardware. If anyone else can confirm this then let us know!
Software
Being Windows Mobile you do have access to the Microsoft office software, internet explorer and mediaplayer (the sound from which is pretty good). It makes the transition from your desktop to your phone an easy one.
Conclusion
A good texting/emailing device for the Windows Mobile lovers, with a very good battery. This might not be as good as the blackberry’s for emails, the iphone’s for toys or better at taking pictures than the 5-8MP phones out there, but as an all rounder it fairs well. All in all, a robust phone on a robust platform.
Review by: Gary
It looks pretty certain that O2 will have the HTC HD2 (aka Leo) available in the next few weeks. In the last 24 hours a copy of O2s magazine was published showing the HD2 in its full glory.
HTC HD2
With Windows Mobile 6.5 being launched on Tuesday next week the HD2 will be one of the first 6.5 devices to hit the market. O2 are clearly aiming high with this device as they are going to have there work cut out over the next few months with other carriers starting to sell the iPhone. With them selling the HTC HD2 as well as the Palm Pre they are going to be able to offer the consumer a fantastic range of options depending on the customers requirements.
HD2 alongside Touch Pro2
The HD2 is a real beast of a device. As well as its monstrous 4.3 inch screen it is driven by a 1 Ghz Snapdragon CPU accompanied by 320MB of Ram and 512MB ROM. The only slight concern I have is that is reported to have a 1230 mAh battery and with a screen so big im wondering if the battery will last me a day.
The HD2 is rumoured to be available from October 12th however until that’s confirmed I wont be committing to a date, however I am attending the “Windows Phone” launch in London on Tuesday so fingers crossed we may here some news on devices as well as the new 6.5 version.
I will have a full report of the event on the site Tuesday evening so please come back to us to check out the latest news from Microsoft.
Posted by: James
Our latest podcast Episode 42 is now available for download, this week we discuss the the iPhone hitting Orange and Vodafone, the HTC Leo, Sony Ericsson Satio and much more. You can subscribe via iTunes, RSS or download the mp3 file here. Full show notes after the break.
Toshiba have today announced two new laptops with some rather impressive specs. The Satellite T110 & T130 are not only lightweight and thin, but also offer battery life up to 11 hours! Available from late October the laptops have a starting price of £429.00.
T110 and T130
London, UK, 29th September 2009
“Toshiba UK today announced the Satellite T110 and T130 – the first Toshiba laptops to feature Intel® CULV (Consumer Ultra Low Voltage) processors, designed to offer the performance and functionality of full-sized laptops with portability and a battery life of up to eleven hours.
The Satellite T-series is the perfect balance of thin and light eye-catching design, portability, extensive connectivity and stunning battery performance, at an affordable price point. Consumers have a choice of sizes and colour options – the T130 is available with a 13.3” screen, whilst the smaller T110 offers an 11.6” alternative. The T130 will be available in the Satellite Pro range for business users.
Elegant design
Only 22.2mm at its thinnest point and a mere 1.58kg in weight*, the slender, tapered chassis of the Satellite T-series offers a stunning mobile computing experience. The range features an elegant, subtle pattern design – available in a choice of Precious Black, Iron Red Metallic and Luxe White Pearl (model dependent) – that continues inside the laptop, around the keyboard, screen and display.Portability without compromise
While both the Satellite T110 and T130 boast a thin, compact design, they also deliver a powerful performance thanks to the Intel® CULV processors. The Satellite T130 is available with the choice of Intel® Pentium®, Intel® Single Core or Intel® Celeron Single Core ultra low voltage processors, and the Satellite T110 has the option of either an Intel® Pentium® or Intel® Celeron Single CoreTM ultra low voltage processor.The ultra low voltage CPU allows for a much longer average running time between charges whilst still providing the processing power necessary for resource intensive tasks such as word processing or image editing, with consumers able to enjoy up to eleven hours use on a single charge. Up to 4GB DDR3 (800MHz) of RAM and up to 500GB of hard disk drive space allow consumers the flexibility to keep their important files with them and run several programs simultaneously.
Mobile working on the Satellite T130 and T110 is made even easier by the inclusion of an LED backlit 16:9 widescreen featuring a resolution of 1366 x 768, at screen sizes of 13.3” and 11.6” respectively. Meanwhile, both models feature Toshiba’s 3D sensor for HDD protection, which detects free falls, shock or vibration and locks down the hard drive to prevent the loss of valuable data.
Comprehensive features
The Satellite T-series also features Toshiba’s innovative gesture support. A multi-touch control pad enables users to pinch, zoom, swipe and rotate objects simply by moving their fingers. An integrated webcam makes video conferencing and web chats simple, and with Toshiba’s Face Recognition technology, it is possible to access files by simply looking into the camera – no need for passwords.Users can also further maximise the efficiency of their laptop by adjusting the power settings with Toshiba’s Eco-Utility tool – a software application, developed by Toshiba, which allows users to monitor how much energy their laptop is using and reduce the energy consumption by up to 25% in idle mode. The power saving Eco Utility Tool demonstrates the efficiency offered by Eco Utility in direct comparison to the standard power mode.
The Satellite T110 and T130 laptops offer a wide range of connectivity options including integrated Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n and Bluetooth 2.1 connectivity. Furthermore, all Satellite T-series laptops provide three USB 2.0 ports with Toshiba’s Sleep-and-Charge technology allowing multiple devices to charge even when the laptop is switched off. An HDMI port on all versions also allows users to connect to high definition television sets.”
Satellite T110
- Intel® Pentium® or Intel® Celeron Single CoreTM ultra low voltage processor
- Up to 3GB (DDR3)
- 250GB HDD
- 11.6″ LED Backlit 1366 x 768 Screen
- Integrated Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n
- Integrated Web Camera with Face Recognition
- 3 x USB 2.0 Sleep and Charge, 1 x HDMI
- 1.58kg
- Available in Precious Black or Iron Red Metallic
T110
Satellite T130
- Intel® Pentium®, Intel® Single Core or Intel® Celeron Single Core ultra-low-voltage processor
- Up to 4GB (DDR3)
- Up to 500GB HDD
- 13.3″ LED Backlit 1366 x 768 Screen
- Integrated Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n
- Integrated Web Camera with Face Recognition
- 3 x USB 2.0 Sleep & Charge, 1 x HDMI
- 1.76kg
- Available in Precious Black, Iron Red Metallic or Luxe White Pearl
T130
Satellite Pro T130
- Intel® Celeron Single CoreTM or Intel Core 2 Duo ultra-low-voltage processor
- Up to 4GB (DDR3)
- Up to 320GB HDD
- 13.3″ LED Backlit 1366 x 768 Screen
- Integrated Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n
- Integrated Web Camera with Face Recognition
- 3 x USB 2.0 Sleep & Charge, 1 x HDMI
- 1.76kg
- Available in Precious Black
Fingers crossed will will get one of these beauties to review so look out for further news and we maybe an unboxing video if we are lucky.
Posted by: James
We are suckers for watching TV on computer. In that way taking screenshots is easy and you don’t have to turn your head too much while working on the computer. Now we are using USB box from Hauppauge Inc to suck on DVB-S signals from Astra 28.2 satellite. However this satellite offers now also DVB-S2, i.e. HD TV, so we were searching for new box and we have found one at Elgato – a company specialized in making TV sticks and boxes for Mac. Fortunately that DVB-S2 box works for Windows (drivers provided) what cannot be said about EyeTV app for iPhone, that just has been released:
… because you need a Mac with Elgato TV stick or box to watch live TV remotely! Too bad. Anywho, here is more information about this app:
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A welcome update to one of the best enhancement to your Windows Mobile phones arrives today. Pleasingly, the software adds several updates to an already brimming feature list.
SPB Mobile Shell has always been one of the best looking Today Screen replacements for Windows Mobile. The combination of a slick interface and some light, handy shortcuts led for a much more pleasing user experience. Each incarnation improved greatly upon the last and this update is no slacker.
Samsung’s first Android device which was initially released in Germany is now available here in the UK. It has certainly got some stiff competition as HTC’s Hero is now well established and getting pretty good reviews all round. Does the Galaxy stand a chance against the other Android devices already on the market or is it worth waiting for a forthcoming one?
Samsung i7500 Galaxy
What’s in the box:
- Handset
- Battery
- Pouch/Case
- Charger
- Earphones
- USB Cable
- Software
The Ten Second Review:
Device: Samsung i7500 Galaxy
Price: £435.99
Summary: An Android device sporting a 5MP camera, WiFi, GPS and a 3.2 OLED display.
Best of: WiFi, GPS, OLED Screen
Worst of: Unlock Key, Function Buttons
Samsung i7500 Galaxy Specification:
Samsung GT-I7500 Galaxy specification:
Dimensions:- 115 x 56 x 11.9mm
Battery:- Capacity: 1500 mAh
Display:- 320 x 480 pixels/3.2 inch AMOLED Display
Network:- GSM: 850/900/1800/1900 (Quad-Band) / HSDPA (7.2Mbps)
Camera:- 5 mega-pixels (auto-focus)
Power LED Flash
Video:- Video Streaming
Music:- Supported formats: MP3, AAC, eAAC+ & WMA
Messaging:- SMS / MMS (with video) / E-mail (POP3, SMTP, IMAP4, GMail) / Instant Messaging (Google Talk)
Memory:- 8GB (internal) / microSDHC (external)
Connectivity:- microUSB / 3.5mm AV connector
Bluetooth (2.0)
Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11b/g)
Navigation:- AGPS / Google Maps / Google Street View / Google Latitude
Features:- YouTube / Google Calender / Google Search
General:
The top of the Galaxy houses the USB port and also the 3.5mm headset jack.
Galaxy Top
The front contains send/end keys, a menu key on the left, a back button and a home button on the right. In the centre is the D-Pad.
The Galaxy’s keys
The left side contains only the up/down volume rocker.
Left side
On the right can be found the unlock button as well as the camera button.
Right side
On the back of the device is the speaker grill at the base and the camera and flash at the top.
The back of the Galaxy
Highlights:
- WiFi
- Camera
- OLED Display
Lowlights:
- Unlock Button
- Bad key positioning
Review:
I was really looking forward to getting the Galaxy for review as I have had very limited time to use Android devices. Luckily I have a friend who has a HTC Hero and I have been able to have a good go, so I guess I will be comparing the Galaxy against the Hero as well as other operating systems.
Straight out of the box the Galaxy felt great in the hand. Like the Samsung Jet its plastic back cover is super shiny and feels well made. Once turned on and the screen kicks into life the device looked amazing. The OLED display really is so crisp and bright. I’m sure its only a matter of time until other manufactures are also using the same screens. On the forum one question I was asked was how easy the screen was to see in bright conditions. To be honest compared to my Windows devices I would say its on par. Neither are fantastic but I have managed.
Unlike the HTC Hero, the Galaxy runs the standard Android user interface like on the HTC Magic and T-Mobile G1. This consists of three home screens which are all totally customisable. By holding down a point on the screen a menu pops up which allows you to add shortcuts, widgets, folders or change wallpaper. These options are great as it allows you to only have the stuff you really use on the homescreens.
At the top of the homescreen is the notification bar. It also houses important information such as signal strength, battery life and the time, however if you get a notification such as a sms or voicemail a symbol will appear in this bar. To access the information you grab the bar with your finger or thumb and drag it down. This will open the notification bar into a full screen page giving to quick access to messages etc.
At the bottom of the screen is a grey tab button with an arrow on it. By sliding this arrow up it opens the main menu. Again the menu looks great as the icons are on a black background which really makes the coloured icons stand out. I had one major problem with the menu though. I was missing the Android Market icon (Androids app store). So, I thought that it must be located somewhere deeper in the menus but I was wrong. It was not on the handset full stop! I contacted Matt about this and he emailed Samsung who actually phoned him and discussed the problem. They kindly agreed to find out how to resolve the issue and get back to him. Did they call back – NO. Shame on you Samsung. So I now have an Android device which I can not customise with app’s from Android Market. Kind of defeats the whole point of buying the device if you ask me. Although O2 are selling the handset we have failed to actually locate a store that has a Galaxy in stock. So will the retail version have the Android market or not, or have all the handsets gone back to Samsung to be fixed???
Although the Galaxy looks a nice design I don’t think that the buttons on the front of the handset are very user friendly. The left hand side is okay but on the right they have squeezed an extra button in (the home key). It just feels like these buttons are a bit to close together and using one handed feels a little bit odd. The other button which got really on my nerves is the lock key on the right hand side of the phone. Each time I wanted to do something I had to hold down the lock key for about three/four seconds which when picking the phone up dozens of times a day gets rather frustrating. Most other touch screen devices I have used have had a simple on screen unlock which takes a quarter of the time to complete. I also wasn’t too keen on the D-Pad. Although it does its job I didn’t like it as much as the track ball on the HTC Hero and to be truthful im not sure either handset actually need this feature as its so easy to change screens using the screen itself.
On to a positive feature, the camera. Although the cameras interface is not the best and using the soft keys to get through the menus is a pain, the camera takes good pictures. Outdoors, the pictures are as good as any other 5mp camera phone and indoors the flash does a brilliant job. The quality is without doubt good enough for printing. The video feature also is pretty good but like most phones it looks great on the device but not so hot once on a computer!
Listening to MP3s was also positive. The Metallica test was a huge success! The speaker is fairly loud but listening with the Samsung earphones was fantastic and I would say on par with my ipod. Samsung have always made a good job of there earphones, in my opinion, and they supply these ones with several of there handsets which is good news for music fans. With 8Gb of storage the Galaxy will hold a massive amount of music tracks.
The music interface is also very nice on the Galaxy with simple large on screen buttons. In addition to the album coverwork being displayed also the artist, album and song title are shown.
One thing that does concern me though is the lack of Bluetooth file transfer. Im not sure why this has been left out but I believe its an Android thing. Im sure this will change in time.
With a nice big screen web browsing has to be one of the Galaxy’s selling points and Samsung have not let us down. The OLED screen makes viewing images amazing and although there is no pinch zooming the onscreen zoom options are simple pimple!
A nice feature with the browser is multi tabbing. You can have four tabs open at a time and with a click of the menu button you can see all four tabs on one page, quarter screen, giving you the easiest way to choose which page you wish to return to.
Like most browsers there are numerous settings options such as choosing text size, blocking images, remember passwords and blocking pop ups.
A good browser all round!
Messaging is fine and dandy on the Galaxy. As the phone is an Android device you can easily import GMail contacts and there is a separate app for using GMail. Alternatively you can use any email address and the Galaxy will automatically detect the settings. I set up my Yahoo account and it worked just fine. Typing on the Galaxy is a bit tight in portrait mode but in landscape its relatively easy. The added haptic feedback is a nice touch. I am used to a physical keyboard but I soon picked up typing on the Galaxy and although not as fast as on my Touch Pro2 I surprised myself.
The Galaxy comes with a couple of nice app’s pre-installed. The first being google maps, which seems to be standard now on smartphones and secondly a YouTube client. Both worked well and its a shame I couldn’t download any others!
Conclusion:
So do I like the Galaxy as much as the Hero – No, and I cant see many people disagreeing with me once they have used both. It does what its meant to do and it does it well but its just not as nice. I was bitterly disappointed with Samsung’s failure to sort out the Android Market issue and had I been able to download other app’s then maybe the race would have been a bit closer.
Its still early days for Android and the best is yet to come but at the moment the Hero is still in the lead, for the time being at least.
If you have any questions regarding this handset please use the forum and I will do my best to answer.
Review by: James
After the news that Orange were now in Apple happy little iPhone garden, Vodafone has joined the club too. I can’t imagine there being any too big of a price war but the prices will easily trounce anything else in Orange and Vodafone’s catalogue
We look forward to any for of price war as these developments unfold.
Looks like Vodafone are following the likes of Orange and have agreed with Apple to sell the iPhone 3G & 3GS in the UK.
Vodafone & iPhone
Potential Vodafone iPhone users can register there interest at the following link – Register interest in an iPhone
More to follow later………..
Posted by: James
It’s app store, stupid! Yeah, iPhone owes its huge success mainly to the existence of app store that offers at this moment (i.e. today) 87 thousand apps – free and commercial ones. However Apple app store is big not only with regard to number of apps offered in it, but also with regard to sales and downloads. Apple writes:
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